FERAL: LARDO Team’s Deep-Fried Lasagne Pub Food Lands on Rye Lane

A Familiar Pub Gets a Mischievous New Kitchen on Rye Lane

If you have walked down Rye Lane recently, you will have noticed the steady stream of new openings that keep this stretch of Peckham busy from morning until late. Now John The Unicorn, the pub at 157-159 Rye Lane, is set to become the home of FERAL, a pub food concept that has crossed the river from Hackney. The building has long been a fixture for locals who want a pint and somewhere to sit after work, so its reinvention matters to people who already consider it part of their weekly routine. Upstairs, a new kitchen and dining room will seat 45 people, with a separate Negroni aperitivo bar for 25. Downstairs, the pub keeps its neighbourhood feel, with bar snacks served throughout. For those of us who travel across London to eat, such as friends who commute in from Richmond, Rye Lane is becoming a genuine destination rather than just a stop on the way to somewhere else. The area already draws people for its markets, record shops and street food, and a pub that takes its food seriously adds another reason to make the trip. Expect the building to feel busy, lively and a little more polished than before, while the bar downstairs still welcomes anyone who simply wants a drink.

The Team Behind the Dishes and the Pub Behind the Plan

FERAL comes from restaurateur Nathan Woodhead and head chef Marta Sandini, the same team behind LARDO in Hackney. Their approach to the menu is loosely Italian, with plenty of playful twists that suit a pub setting. The signature Folds are flatbreads designed to be folded and eaten with one hand, so they work as easily at the bar as at a table. Fillings range from cacio e pepe with caramelised onion and house pickle to carbonara with guanciale and egg yolk, a spiced lamb kebab-style fold, and a jerk chicken and cheddar version with garlic sauce. Snacks include truffle cacio e pepe arancini and amatriciana arancini with Calabrian chilli honey, while larger plates such as gnocchi with vodka sauce and spaghetti and meatballs are on offer for a more settled meal. The building itself was taken on last November by Gosnells, a local drinks company that has reworked it as a neighbourhood pub and music bar. That partnership matters because it means the drinks offer and the food are being developed together, rather than the kitchen simply arriving in an existing venue. For the staff, regulars and neighbouring businesses, it signals a period of change, with new roles likely to be created as the kitchen and bar ramp up.

What Locals Should Know Before the Doors Open

The official opening is Friday 13 November 2026, but the soft openings on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 November are the best chance to try the food at a lower price, with 50% off in the restaurant. Restaurant bookings are made by email, so anyone planning a group dinner should check johntheunicorn.co.uk for details and contact the team early, particularly for the weekend. The downstairs bar is walk-ins only, which suits people who just want a drink and a snack on the way home. Expect queues on the early soft-opening nights and keep an eye on Rye Lane’s busy evenings, when the street can be crowded. For independent hospitality businesses in the area, one practical lesson from openings like this is to keep clear records from day one. Many small operators, from café owners to pub landlords, often bring in a Hounslow bookkeeping specialist to keep track of takings, staff costs and supplier invoices during a launch. Whatever your role in the local economy, the next few months will show whether FERAL becomes a fixture in the neighbourhood. Watch for the first menu updates, any extra opening hours, and whether the upstairs room starts hosting events, as those will tell us how the venue plans to fit into everyday Peckham life.

Source: Deep-Fried Lasagne Is Coming To A Peckham Pub From The Team Behind LARDO